The Supremes & The Four Tops: The Return Of The Magnificent Seven - 1971


This was the second collaboration between these two fine Motown vocal groups. It is another immaculately-produced effort, full of quality material, but I prefer their first album, finding this one a bit too ballad-weighted in the middle part. 

You Got To Have Love In Your Heart was the collaboration's greatest hit and it was an irresistible, joyous celebration of an early seventies Motown song - a bit of a forgotten classic. I Wonder Where We're Going tapped in to the beginning of the decade vibe with a Temptations-Undisputed Truth-style socially-conscious number, enhanced by some genre-typical fuzzy guitar. Petula Clark's Tony Hatch-composed Call Me is a slightly disposable number, to be honest. 

Ashford & Simpson's One More Bridge To Cross is a solid, muscular and brassy number. Proper punchy soul. Now the slower stuff starts. The ballad duet If You Could See Me Now is very Diana Ross-esque and a departure from the more gritty, soulful material that had preceded it. It contains some Stevie Wonder-style metallic harmonica. Indeed, it may have been Stevie, but I am unable to find out 

I'll Try Not To Cry is a pleasant slice of easy listening. Ashford & Simpson's I'm Glad About It (the 'b' side to You Got To Have Love In Your Heart) is a more powerful ballad while Let's Make Love Now is as syrupy as the title suggests. Some Levi Stubbs-powered gritty soul is found on I Can't Believe You Love Me but Where Would I Be Without You, Baby sees a return to balladry, albeit sublime. 

What Do You Have To Do (To Stay On The Right Side Of Love) is slightly more funky and bassy, only just, though. As I said, I find the debut album to be a more appealing one, overall. There's nothing wrong with this one, but it just feels a bit more lightweight.


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